Smoke and Mirrors
by the go-to guy
Summary: He always smelled like smoke. DelsinFetch


cdusfhaofjsai God this blew up. I came up with the first line, and then I just wrote and wrote until it was this monstrosity. I'm still not entirely satisfied with Delsin speech...Bleck. Oh well. I'm probably going to do another chapter of this, so feel free to click the story alert button.

XXXXX

He smelled like smoke. Which, Fetch supposed, made sense-he used his smoke powers, like, _all the time _(no, she wasn't jealous; why would she be jealous because he didn't use the powers he got from her _even though it was clearly the best power_). But Delsin even smelled like smoke when he was channeling one of his other powers, which was both weird and relaxing, yet occasionally annoying, especially now when he was trying to be invisible and sneak up on her.

She smelled him coming-the smoky scent always gave him away, even back when they were in Seattle and cleaning out the last of the Crack houses. It was weird how, even in a room where the sickeningly familiar smell of narcotics rushed into her nose and she had to fight back the memories of hazy, drug-induced hallucinations, she could always smell the smoky scent that Delsin seemed to wear like perfume. It was relaxing, refreshing even, to have that there, that security blanket of a scent wrapping around her.

But now that damn smell was getting on her last nerve, which was already frayed from being manhandled by the Secret Service all day. "Now is not a good time, D." She whispered, hoping that those freaking robots-in-suits wouldn't hear. "I'm not in the mood for your crap."

"You're no fun at all." Delsin complained from next to Fetch, startling Eugene, who was sitting on her other side. Despite his grumblings, Fetch could sense Delsin sulk back in the direction of the men's bathroom to become visible again, sneaking around the Secret Servicemen who were forming a loose perimeter. Eugene looked back and forth anxiously, his fingers twitching as he ached for the security of his laptop and computer chair.

"Was...was that Delsin?" He stuttered, and Fetch grunted in response. "What's he doing? How can he be so relaxed? We're going to meet the President soon! God, I can't believe I let him talk me into this..." Fetch sighed, crossing her arms as she reclined against the hard back of the chair.

"I know what you mean. I should be out on the street tracking down dealers, not smiling for suits who've never felt hungry." Despite her grumblings and tough exterior, Fetch was feeling just as many butterflies in her stomach as Eugene. It was making her head spin, how fast everything has changed; one minute she's patting down the pockets of murdered drug dealers for food money, and next thing she knows, she, Delsin, and Eugene were cordially invited to the White House to meet with the President himself. It was surreal, and frankly it made Fetch's head spin whenever she thought about it.

So she didn't. Or at least, she tried not too-but that had been rather difficult the last few days, considering how the stupid press had been following her everywhere and the Secret Service were watching her every move. Like, come on, she could protect herself! She was a conduit, and a powerful one at that! Not as powerful as Delsin, sure, but powerful regardless.

Speaking of Delsin, the moron strolled out of the bathroom like nothing was wrong. "Sorry I took so long, everyone," He announced, hands in his vest pockets as the chain around his wrist clanked (he had refused to take it off, so security grudgingly let him keep it). "Sometimes, you just gotta go." The Secret Servicemen didn't move a muscle, even as Delsin leaned in so close he could smell their breath. "Wow...you guys are like those British dudes with the tall hats."

What an idiot. Did he even understand the importance of what was happening? The President was officially disbanding the DUP and signing off on the release of all the Conduits in Curden Cay...history was in the making, and Delsin Rowe was at the forefront of it all. And he was still acting like it was just another day. What the Hell. The asshole didn't even have the decency to seem nervous! He was really such a headache sometimes.

Delsin slid into the chair on Fetch's left, his feet sticking straight out as he glanced at his companions. "What's wrong with you guys?"

Eugene gawked at Delsin, while Fetch just glared at him. "Delsin! We're meeting the President!" The gamer reminded. Delsin just shrugged.

"I don't see what the big deal is. After taking down Augustine, there's nothing the three of us can't handle."

"We can't just fight our way out of this one, Delsin! Oh man oh man...we're gonna screw up and mess up everything..." Fetch ignored Eugene's squirming beside her. It was pretty much par for the course that the introvert hype himself up into a frenzy over pretty much everything that he had to deal with without his precious games. Instead, the pink-haired vigilante rolled her eyes at Delsin.

"He has a point, D. We can't punch the President in the face." Out of the corner of her eye, Fetch noticed some of the Secret Servicemen visibly stiffen. She took some pleasure in the fact as she continued. "We can't mess up. If we do anything wrong, we could make every Conduit afraid to step outside again."

Delsin smirked, and Fetch began to feel a little better despite herself. "You guys are overreacting. We showed everyone how bad the DUPs were- it's not like they're gonna get any power back after lying to everyone for so long."

He was right, and Fetch knew it. So she grudgingly bit her tongue and sat in the uncomfortably formal chair for a minute more until one of their bodyguards turned and motioned with his hand. "The President will see you now," He flatly intoned. Delsin leaped up, stretching his arms as he grinned.

"Finally!" He looked back at his friends. "Get up, you bums!"

Fetch groaned. Eugene stuttered. And the Secret Service members just stared.

XXXXX

The trio strolled into the oval office, sufficiently impressed with the grandeur of the room. Every step brought them deeper into history, and even Fetch, jaded from her time in Curden Cay and on the streets, found herself somewhat awestruck. The President, sitting up straight behind his ornate desk, smiled the million-watt smile that got him elected. He rose and strode over to Delsin, hand outstretched.

"You must be Delsin Rowe." The President said, shaking the hand the Delsin had uneasily extended. Fetch smirked-for all his big talk, Delsin was just as nervous as the rest of them. The graffiti artist just screwed on a smile the best he could and returned the President's handshake. "I must say, Mr. Rowe, I've seen footage of you on the move-the way you traverse from building to building is nothing short of incredible!"

"Heh...years of practice, I guess," was all Delsin could think of responding with. The President moved onto Fetch, who automatically stiffened as her hand was shaken. It wasn't that she was nervous-years of betrayal and running from the cops had instilled in her a deep distrust of authority that she was still struggling to get over.

"Ms. Abigail Walker, if I'm not mistaken?" The President inquired.

"Fetch." Was the girl's response. "My name is Fetch."

"Ah, sorry. Fetch. You know, I love what you have done with your hair."

Fetch grunted, refusing to let herself be buttered up by petty compliments. The President ignored the disrespect and moved on once more to Eugene, who made sure to quickly wipe his hand on his palm before grasping the President's.

"Mr. Sims...you mother is so proud of you." The trio stiffened at the mention of Eugene's mom. He hadn't said too much about their relationship, but there was definitely some awkwardness between mother and son, given how she had voted to fund the DUP and everything. Bringing her up had been a risky move, but Eugene seemed more or less ok with it so Fetch and Delsin remained quiet. "My son really looks up to you, you know."

"W-what?" Eugene squeaked. The President nodded solemnly.

"He is an avid player of Heaven's Hellfire himself. He was wondering if you would be willing to play a game or two with him later on?" Eugene couldn't respond, just nod mutely, shock written across his face. As the President released his grip and stepped back, Fetch nudged the dork with her elbow, eyebrows raised in a _check out that shit_ expression.

The President cleared his throat. "It's a pleasure to have the three of you here today-this is an important first step in building amicable human-conduit relations." Fetch rolled her eyes at the rehearsed quality of his words, but was taken aback at the President's next sentence. "Mr. Rowe-"

"Call me Delsin." The conduit interrupted.

Recovering quickly, the President continued. "Delsin, I understand you wrote a speech?"

Fetch shot a look at Delsin, who merely shrugged. "It's nothing much. Just a little thing I wanted to say." Delsin was actually...embarrassed? It was a bold new look for the cocky punk, and Fetch had to bite back a laugh at how uncomfortable Delsin now looked, completely losing all of his earlier bravado. The President put on a smile and continued. "I'm sure it's great, Delsin. I'll give my speech, give you an introduction, you can read your speech, and then we can sign the bill into law, officially releasing all of the Conduits and disbanding the DUP. Does that sound good to you?" Delsin nodded. "All right then." The President glanced at his watch. "The speech is scheduled to begin in a few minutes-why don't we all go get ready?" The trio shrugged and nodded, and as they were escorted out of the room behind the President, Fetch leaned in and whispered to Eugene.

"Did you know that D was going to say something?" She asked.

"Y-yeah. Delsin actually came to me to look it over and make sure it sounded ok." Fetch frowned and grumbled as she stood up straight, adjusting her jacket. It made sense to ask Eugene to look at the speech-he was the smartest of the group, without a doubt, and he knew all these fancy words and political jargon-but Fetch was still a bit hurt that Delsin hadn't talked to her about this super important speech he was giving. Fetch did her best to bury the feelings as soon as they bubbled up. What was she, a jealous schoolgirl? Delsin could do what he damn well pleased, and he could keep whatever secrets he wanted. It wasn't like they were dating or anything like that.

As it normally did in times like these, Brent's voice whispered in her ear. _You like him..._ Brent teased. He would always say that teasing her was one of his brotherly duties. Fetch just thought that he liked annoying her. Still, she couldn't help the blush that seeped into her cheeks as they were escorted down the hall.

_Shut up, Brent, _She thought.

XXXXX

They were sitting next to the podium as the guests-of-honor or whatever. Naturally, they were in full view of the cameras, and all the attention made Fetch slightly irritated. Where had all this attention been when Conduits had been tortured in Curden Cay? Still, despite the hypocrisy of the situation, Fetch realized she couldn't be truly angry. The people had been afraid of them-afraid of the power, afraid of the people who had powers-and with the way some Conduits acted, they honestly couldn't be blamed all that much. _At least things are heading in the right direction_, Fetch supposed. Folding her arms together and crossing her legs, Fetch glanced at her sides to see what her companions were up to. Eugene was...surprisingly calm. Somewhat startled at the lack of nervous fidgeting and sweaty palms, Fetch followed the gamer's gaze and saw that Eugene was making eye contact with a woman seated in the front row, wearing a tight skirt and business attire. The pretty blonde was making eye contact with Eugene and smiling a small smile. Fetch supposed it was his mother, and she felt a pang at the remembrance of what her parents had done to her.

Ignoring the feelings of bitterness and sorrow, Fetch glanced to her left and smirked as she saw Delsin reviewing some note cards (showing a surprising amount of foresight) and murmuring his speech. He could be such a moron sometimes, and the fact that that made him so endearing was simply unfair. Sighing and realizing that she would have to placate his nervousness somehow, lest he screw it all up for the rest of them, Fetch unceremoniously elbowed Delsin in the side to get his attention.

Delsin winced at the attack and Fetch rolled her eyes; Delsin had been hit a lot harder than that over the course of their little adventure in Seattle. The power-sponge Conduit glared at the girl sitting next to him, but Fetch ignored his angry look and instead leaned in to whisper in his ear, relishing the smoky scent she adored so much.

"Your brother would be proud of you." She said, recalling a similar line Delsin had said to her. Delsin froze for a second, not expecting that, then visibly relaxed as a smile spread across his face. Fetch smiled in response.

"Thanks." Delsin said.

"...And now, it is my great pleasure to introduce the hero of Seattle, here to say a few words... Mr. Delsin Rowe!" The President gestured to the seated Conduit, who startled a bit before slowly rising at the roar of approval from the crowd. A nervous look on his face, Delsin shook hands with the President before the latter took a seat and the former looked out amongst the crowd of congresspeople, reporters, and cameras. He took a small gulp and a short breath before speaking.

"Um, I'm not really the best at speeches, so I'll try to keep it short." A murmur of laughter through the crowd eased Delsin's nerves a bit, helping him continue as he glanced down at his notecards. "When I first found out I was a Conduit, I was afraid. I had heard so many bad things about them that the fact I was one of them made me think I was suddenly a bad guy too." An uncomfortable murmur went through the crowd as Delsin paused to gather his thoughts before continuing. "But my brother, Reggie, helped me realize that I was still me. I could just shoot smoke out of my fingers now." He chuckled, and the audience followed suit. "My brother and I went to Seattle because Augustine hurt my tribe, and we met some interesting Conduits. Most of them-" he gestured to Fetch and Eugene- "were just people who were trying to use their gifts to make the world a better place. They were just people who got powers and tried to make the most of it." He stopped, composing himself and fighting the embarrassed flush on his face. "The Conduits in Curden Cay didn't get to make that choice yet, and they deserve the chance. I know some people are still afraid of us. My brother was, too, at the beginning. But he realized that Conduits are still people, good and bad." Delsin stopped, composing himself. He reached up and slipped off his Beanie in respect, letting his black hair free as he continued. "My brother died to help me, a Conduit, live, and I spend every day trying to make up for that. Conduits and ordinary people can live together...and this is the first step."

The applause was loud, and even Fetch found herself applauding sincerely. That was a big deal, for Delsin to say something so poignant, and even if he was embarrassed by it, his words rang true. As the President officially signed into law the release of all the Curden Cay inmates, Fetch allowed herself to feel the hope that things were finally looking up.

XXXXX

The bed was way too soft for anyone to possibly sleep in. This was the conclusion Fetch reached after tossing and turning for the better part of an hour in her private room on the top floor of some five-star hotel. The trio had been given free rooms for the duration of their stay in Washington, and Fetch was finding herself unable to feel comfortable being surrounded by this much luxury. After spending years sleeping in cardboard boxes and lighting fires to keep warm, the elegance of a simple hotel room was such a drastic change that Fetch didn't think she would ever get used to it. Grumbling as she sat up, she threw on some sweats and marched into the hallway to the next room over. She knocked loudly on the door. "D, get up and let me in." She grunted, forgoing tact. Through the door, she heard padded footprints on plush carpeting, and a moment later the door swung open to reveal Delsin, Beanie off, hair askew, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and perfectly at ease. He glanced at Fetch with a shit-eating grin.

"Coming to my room in the middle of the night? People might get the wrong idea, Fetch!"

"Shut up and let me in, D." Fetch grumbled, lightly shoving him aside and strolling into the room. It was the same as hers-massive bed, a dresser, flat screen TV, private bathroom, lush carpeting...it was elegant, and honestly too much. The bed had rumpled covers but hadn't been slept in, and the TV was on the History channel.

"Couldn't sleep?" Fetch asked, plopping onto the foot of the bed.

Delsin shook his head. "Nah; it's too comfortable." Fetch nodded in agreement, absentmindedly watching the commercials on the television. Delsin came over and sat next to her an arm's length away, making Fetch slightly irritated for some reason. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching a documentary on the American Civil War, before Fetch spoke up.

"That was a good speech, D." She said, not looking at him.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Thanks. I meant what I said, you know." Fetch got the feeling that he was talking about more than just how regular people and Conduits could live together.

"'Bout what?" Fetch asked, curious.

"You."

Fetch blushed, refusing to look at Delsin and instead focusing all of her attention on the television screen.

"You're a good person, Abigail." Fetch's eyes darted to Delsin, who was just as red in the face as when he gave his speech. It was the first time that he had called her by her real name, and her heart did a little dance as her face reddened. Delsin leaned back, spreading out his arms for support, and he placed his hand over hers. Fetch didn't move, and Delsin gave her hand a small squeeze as the sat in the sound of the documentary.


End file.
